Glorious late '60s and early '70s soul by one of the true masters. This one disc best-of (for a more expansive look at Jerry Butler's career, check the two disc box set ICEMAN) covers Butler's tenure at Mercury Records (1966-73) after an earlier stay at Vee Jay, and thus necessarily stints on classics like "He Will Break Your Heart."

Just about everything included here is memorable, though, whether it be crossover pop smashes like " "Hey, Mr. Western Union Man," and "Only the Strong Survive," or lesser-known tracks like the electric-sitar drenched ballad "Ain't Understanding Mellow" (a duet with the charmingly-named Brenda Lee Eager).